Daily Devotional Free

  What do you find most refreshing? A cold drink on a hot day? An afternoon nap? Listening to praise and worship music? The biblical theme of refreshing has a variety of physical and spiritual meanings. In Scripture, we read of refreshment by resting on the Sabbath (Ex. 23:12), with cool water after physical activity (Judg. 15:18-19), by soothing music (1 Sam. 16:23), and with encouraging fellowship (2 Tim. 1:16). The apostle Peter describes a time of spiritual refreshment that took place on the Day of Pentecost. He exhorted his listeners to repent and respond to the gospel "that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord" (Acts 3:19). The apostle's statement was especially meaningful to the Jewish audience with its reference to the millennium when Messiah would rule. But the good news of spiritual life would also be extended to the Gentiles (Acts 10). Even now as believers, we can experience a time of refreshing by quieting our hearts in a devotional time

  Dear Lord, I need my spirit refreshed and renewed today. Speak to me through Your Word that I might hear Your heart. Help me to share my heart with You in prayer. Take away from me my sins. And, mercifully kindle in me the fire of Your Holy Spirit. Take away from me the heart of stone and give me a heart of flesh, a heart to love and adore You, a heart to delight in You, to follow and to enjoy You, for Christ's sake. O Sovereign and Almighty Lord, bless all Your people, and all Your flock. Give Your peace, Your help, and Your love unto us Your servants, the sheep of Your fold, that we may be united in the bond of peace and love, one body and one spirit, in one hope of our calling, in Your divine and boundless love. This I pray, in Christ's name. Amen

  Let's be thankful for the assurance we can have that we will be with Jesus after we die if we have trusted in Him to forgive our sin. There is no greater hope. It is now our privilege to share that hope with as many as we can. 1 Peter 3:15 encourages us: "... always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear." We have the opportunity from God, as David said, to "call upon His name; make known His deeds among the peoples" (1 Chron. 6:18). The stories of so many people we love are not yet ended. And, the privilege to tell them about the love of Jesus is a gift most precious. Let our days be filled with a longing - and the opportunities - to tell our story of Jesus.

  Dear God, help me to be open to You for this time as I put aside the cares of this world. Fill my thoughts with Your peace and Your love. Grant that I may always choose to follow You. Have patience with me, mighty God, and forgive me. Do not spew me out, as You have warned You might do with the lukewarm. Fill my soul with the fire of Your Word and help me grow, to put more and more confidence in You and less and less in the world before me; forgive me my sins and help me to live in them less and less today, and every day, that I might more perfectly follow Your commandments. As I travel through the rest of my day, may the God of hope fill me with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit I may abound in hope. Guide with pure wisdom those who guide the nations of the earth and the many factions who may find disagreement, that Your kingdom may go forward in tranquility and goodness, free of hatred and hostility, until the earth is filled with knowledge of

  A house listed for sale "As Is" usually means the seller is unable or unwilling to spend any money to repair it or make it attractive. Any necessary repairs or desired improvements are the responsibility of the buyer after the purchase is complete. "As Is" on a real estate listing is equivalent to sayng, "Buyer bweare. Home may require significant futher investment". How remarkable that when Jesus died, He paid the highest price for each of us, regardless of our condition. Revelation 5 describes a scene in heaven where only "The Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David" is found worthy to open and read a sealed scroll (vv. 3-5). He appears as a Lamb and becomes the object of praise in a new song, "For You were slain, and have redeemed us to God by Your blood out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation, and have made us kings and priests to our God; and we shall reign on the earth" (vv. 9-10).  Jesus Christ willingly purch

  Dear God, I come before You this morning to offer myself, my soul and body to You. I live in awe of Your purity, Your justice, and the power of Your love. You are the strength and light of my soul, for without You I have neither life nor goodness. Forgive me for all of my sin, merciful God, through the mystery of salvation, by Your grace that came through Your only Son, Jesus Christ. From the bottom of my heart, I swear my love for Him. He is my Lord and my Savior, and I cast myself utterly upon Your mercy in His name. I desire never to grieve You by unfaithfulness, and I pray with all my heart to be kept from the smallest sin against You. Mercifully guard my every thought; and grant that I may always watch for Your light, and listen to Your voice, and follow Your gracious inspirations. Give me grace, O Holy Spirit, Spirit of the Father and the Son, to listen first for Your voice in everything I may say or do, this day and always. Amen

  In it's "plot", the story of the Bible ends up very much where it began. The broken relationship between God and human beings has healed over at last, and the curse of Genesis 3 is lifted. Borrowing images from Eden, Revelation pictures a river and a tree of life (Rev. 22:1-2). But this time, a great city replaces the garden setting - a city filled with worshipers of God. No death or sadness will ever darken that scene. When we awake in the new heaven and new earth, we will have at last a happy ending. Heaven is not an afterthought or an optional belief. It is the final justification of all creation. The Bible never belittles human tragedy and disappointment - is any book more painfully honest? - but it does add one key word: temporary. What we feel now, we will not always feel. The time for re-creation will come. For people who feel trapped in pain or in a broken home, in economic misery or in fear - for all of us - heaven promises a timeless future of health and whole

  Dear Heavenly Father, what a great day! Thank You for this and every day when I have woken up, with my heart beating and my mind able to read and think. By the power of your Holy Spirit, fill my heart with joy for all that I have been given. Help me to shoulder the burdens of my life with strength and courage, finding my solace in Your promise of eternal life. I look forward in absolute faith to the glorious new body that all of Christ's children have been promised. But, I pray to enjoy this not-so-glorious body, to see all of its wonders and remember that, being a gift, I am in no position to complain about its imperfections. Send me Your light and truth, to keep this day and all the days of my life. And may Your mighty hand protect me, and all my brothers and sisters who have joined me in prayer this day, blessing our homes and our lives. Through Christ I pray. Amen

  Amani, which means "peace" in Swahili, is the name of a Labrador retriever pup that has some special friends. Amani lives with two young cheetahs at the Dallas Zoo. Zoologists placed the animals together so the cheetahs could learn Amani's relaxed ways. Since dogs are generally at ease in public settings, the experts predict that Amani will be a "calming influence" in the cheetah's lives as they grow up together. David was a soothing influence in King Saul's life when a "distressing spirit" troubled him (1 Sam. 16:14). When Saul's servants learned of his problem, they thought music might ease his affliction. One servant summoned David, who was a skilled harpist. Whenever the king became troubled, David would play the harp. "Then Saul would become refreshed and well" (v. 23). We crave refreshment and well-being when we are plagued by anger, fear, or sadness. The God of the Bible is a "God of peace" (Heb. 13:20-21), One

  Dear Lord, we're grateful for the peace that You offer for our hearts. Nothing has the power to take that away. Thank You that Your peace has come to stay. May I always remember that no matter the day and whatever hardship I face, You are with me, extending Your hand in love. Help me to be open to Your guidance. Knowing that You want what is best for me, only asking in return sorrow for my sins and my willingness to do good.  I pray that I may be blessed every step of my path this day by the great God of light. May Your sun shine upon me; as the moon moves the tide, may Your Spirit move my emotions with every grace and magic; may my heart sing with the voice of your angels and my hearth be warm; and may this and every blessed day You have given me be filled with joy. Amen

  We can all certainly identify with the need of guidance. In fact, Jesus addressed this very need during His Upper Room Discourse. He said that after His departure, the Holy Spirit would play a crucial role in the lives of believers. As part of that role, Jesus promised, "When He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth" (John 16:13). What a marvelous provision! In a world of confusion and fear, guidance is often needed. We can easily be misdirected by the culture around us or by the brokenness within us (1 John 2:15-17). God's Spirit, however, is here to help, to direct, and to guide. How thankful we can be that the Spirit of truth has come to give us the guidance that we often so desperately need. Set your course by His life, and you will reach safe harbor. The Spirit is a reliable guide in all of life's seas. Let Him guide you. We may be weak, but He is mighty. He will hold us always with His powerful hands.

  Dear Lord, grant me by the same Spirit to be guided in my work today, and in my every thought and deed and in everything I say. Let my decisions be wise and holy, and my ears open to Your wisdom. And let me always be open to change Unstop my ears and soften my heart,. Help me learn Your way better and better every hour of this day. Guide me always to do Your holy will knowing that Your strength will carry me through. Look into my heart and see my longing for peace. Watch over me, Lord. I know that You are always by my side. Amen

  Iguazu Falls on the border of Brazil and Argentina is a spectacular waterfall system of 275 falls along 2.7 km (1.67 miles) of the Iguazu River. Etched on a wall on the Brazilian side of the Falls are the words of Psalm 93:4, "Mightier than the thunders of many waters, mightier than the waves of the sea, the Lord on high is mighty!" (RSV). Below it are these words, "God is always greater than all of our troubles". The writer of Psalm 93, who penned its words during the time that kings reigned, knew that God is the ultimate King over all. "The Lord reigns", he wrote. "Your throne is established from of old; You are from everlasting" (vv. 1-2). No matter how high the floods or waves, the Lord remains greater than them all. The roar of a waterfall is truly majestic, but it is quite a different matter to be in the water hurtling toward the falls. That may be the situation you are in today. Physical, financial, or relational problems loom ever large

    Dear Lord, what is present to me is what has a hold on my becoming. I reflect on Your presence that is always there in love, amidst the many things that have a hold on me. I pause and pray that I may let You affect my becoming in this precise moment. You created me to live in freedom. May Your Holy Spirit guide me to follow You freely. Instill in my heart a desire to know and love You more each day. May Your Holy Spirit guide me in all my dealings with others. May I use the gift of speech with kindness. This is all I ask through Christ our Lord. Amen

  The principle of "doing no harm" extends to our relationships with others in everyday life. In fact, benevolence is central to New Testament teaching about loving others. In reflecting on the law of God, Paul sees that love is the intent behind many biblical commands: "Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law" (Rom. 13:10) Each day as we follow Jesus Christ our Savior, we are faced with choices that will affect the lives of others. When we choose a course of action, we should ask ourselves, "Does this reflect Christ's concern for others, or am I only concerned for myself?" Such a sensitivity demonstrates the love of Christ that seeks to heal the broken and help those in need. Caring for the burdens of others helps us to forget about our own. Love never hurts anybody and it will never hurt. Love doesn't have to hurt. God is the author of love and He will never hurt us. Love does no harm.

  Dear Lord, the heavens are telling of Your glory and the wonders of Your love. Yet, as clouds will cover Your sky in gloom, as the ceilings of men's buildings hide the sky from my sight, so the cares of this existence block Your majesty from my mind. I look with hope to the day when my knowledge of Your glory will never be hidden by the concerns of the world. Look upon me, O Lord, and let all the darkness of my soul vanish before the beams of thy brightness. Fill me with holy love, and open to me the treasures of thy wisdom. All my desire is known unto thee; therefore perfect what thou hast begun, and what thy Spirit has awakened me to ask in prayer. I seek thy face. Turn thy face unto me and show me thy glory. Then shall my longing be satisfied, and my peace shall be perfect. Amen

  Anna Anderson's husband died early in their marriage, leaving her with three young daughters and a difficult future. Although trained in Virginia as a teacher, she lacked full credentials to work in the Philadelphia schools, so she took in laundry, did ironing, and later scrubbed floors at a large department store. As African-Americans, they often experienced racial prejudice and discrimination. When doors of opportunity closed, Anna believed that if they would trust the Lord with all their heart and acknowledge Him in all their ways, He would direct their paths (Prov. 3:5-6). She taught her daughters to depend on God, follow Him, and always be thankful. When her firstborn, Marian, rose to become an internationally acclaimed classical singer, Anna continued to pray for her, and always gave God credit for her success. Reporters, who asked Anna how she felt after attending Marian's concert at Carnegie Hall and her 1955 debut with the Metropolitan Opera, heard her say, "We

  Dear Heavenly Father, I give You thanks for the fruits of the earth in their season and for the labors of those who harvest them. Make me and all of my brothers and sisters in Christ, I pray, faithful stewards of your great bounty, for the provision of our necessities and the relief of all who are in need, to the glory of Your Name. I humbly pray that we may always prove ourselves a people who remember Your favor and are glad to do Your will. Bless our land with honorable industry, sound learning, and pure manners. Save us from violence, discord, and confusion; from pride and arrogance, and from every evil way. Defend our liberties, and fashion into one united people the multitudes brought here from so many different lands and languages. Grant the spirit of wisdom those to whom we entrust with the authority of government, that there may be justice and peace at home. And that, through obedience to Your law, we may demonstrate Your praise among the nations of the earth. In times of pro